Board of Directors

Biography coming soon!

Brian Heagle is a founding partner of FDH Lawyers and a retired business lawyer.

Proud parents to 5 children and 4 grandchildren (so far), Brian and his wife, Ria, absolutely love living in Bluewater.

As a director and Vice-Chair of HHS, Brian brings a long record of public service and governance work – including leadership positions with other hospitals and their foundations.

Brian believes that raising the bar for regional health care is the top priority for HHS. That belief is driven by Brian’s passion for teamwork.

"Queen's Park can't be expected to solve all the problems. I'm a strong advocate for engaging the community about informed, innovative and workable local ideas. HHS must then be bold and brave enough to act."

Jane Sager has over 40 years of healthcare experience across various sectors, including acute care, community care, and long-term care, as well as expertise in health policy, performance, and accountability while working for Ontario’s Ministry of Health.

Jane joined the Alexandra Marine & General Hospital Board of Directors in 2020 and contributed to the creation of the Huron Health System (HHS) Common Board of Directors. She currently holds the position of 2nd Vice Chair of the HHS Common Board and is the Chair of the Governance and Nominating Committee.

Jane believes the current healthcare system presents opportunities to innovate, integrate, and expand services to meet the complex needs of our communities.

Retired from a large municipal government, Steve Ireland has management and consulting experience as a Business Analyst specializing in governance. He has extensive experience in information technology, records and information management, project management, and workflow and meeting management in both government and private industry.

Steve's previous board experience includes serving as Treasurer for a nonprofit charity in cardiac rehab and as a board member and Treasurer at Alexandra Marine and General Hospital, transitioning to the Huron Health System Common Board.

As a patient and common board member, Steve is committed to improving healthcare within Huron County, ensuring that services and experiences meet the needs of residents, patients, and visitors. This will include new and innovative ideas, strategic thinking, and exploring potential partnerships.

Biography coming soon!

Susan Reis is a results-oriented professional with extensive international experience across both the private and public sectors. With a keen expertise in crafting innovative marketing strategies, Susan has consistently set and surpassed goals, implementing programs that elevate performance standards.

Susan's proven track record spans management, training, and motivational leadership, emphasizing frontline and team development. Their expertise extends to service quality, promotion, public relations, sales, advertising, event coordination, labor relations, contract negotiation, and customer relations.

After a fulfilling career, Susan has returned to her birthplace, Goderich, after 55 years, bringing a wealth of experience and a commitment to community and excellence.

Tara Oke has been a Board Member of the Huron Health System and a member of the Quality Assurance Committee since 2021. With over 20 years in healthcare as a registered nurse, she has held roles from bedside to management in the Acute Care Sector. Tara has significantly impacted community care as the Director of Primary Care and Chronic Disease at the Grand Bend Area Community Health Centre, with expertise in community and organizational development, change leadership, evaluation, and quality improvement.

Previously, Tara worked at London Health Sciences Centre as the Coordinator for CSTAR (Canadian Surgical Technologies & Advanced Robotics), leading her team to achieve Accreditation with the American College of Surgeons and The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. She also helped develop and deliver educational programs and currently serves as an accreditation reviewer for the Canadian Centre for Accreditation.

Tara is actively involved with the local Ontario Health Team, contributing to committees related to Heart Failure and Cardiac Rehabilitation. Outside work, she enjoys reading and spending time with family and friends.

Christie MacGregor has specialized in catastrophic injury management, vocational rehabilitation, return-to-work planning, and case management for over 30 years. She provides comprehensive career planning, labor market exploration, and transferable skills analysis. Christie has worked extensively with physicians and allied health professionals across Canada, coordinating patient care upon discharge from the hospital.

Christie has qualified as an Expert Witness in Vocational Rehabilitation and Labor Market Opinion in the Ontario Supreme Court, the Court of Queen’s Bench of New Brunswick, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, CPP Disability Hearings, and Financial Services Commission of Ontario Arbitrations. She is frequently invited to speak and present at Brain Injury and Medical Rehabilitation Conferences across Canada in her field of vocational rehabilitation and comprehensive case management.

In 2018, Christie founded the Brain Injury Resource Centre in Grey Bruce, which provides services to individuals with acquired brain injuries, their families, and caregivers. She attends Brain Injury, Medical Case Management, and Vocational Conferences worldwide to deliver the most up-to-date information and practices.

Born and raised in rural Ontario, Christie is particularly interested in local medical supports and care within Huron County. She continues to support various charitable organizations dedicated to the improvement of healthcare in our communities.

Jared Petteplace is a Mechanical Consultant specializing in hydrocarbon emergency training, HVAC, refrigeration, and plumbing hydronics. Certified by the Ontario Fire Marshal, he has trained firefighters.

Jared has held leadership roles on the HPHA Governance Committee, served as Chair of the Clinton Public Hospital’s Advisory Board, and contributed to the Huron O.P.P. Board, impacting both local and provincial levels. A former professor at Fanshawe College for 12 years, he now teaches his developed courses part-time at Lambton College’s Fire School.

Jared and his wife are deeply committed to their community and enjoy raising their two young sons with a focus on family and service.

Now retired and living with his wife Jo-Anne in Goderich, David Atkinson has over 40 years of general management and board experience, with full P&L responsibility for global multi-division, multi-location companies in the natural resource, manufacturing, process, and service delivery sectors.

David's expertise includes financial management, operational strategy creation and execution, business process analysis and redesign, change management and leadership, including total quality management and continuous improvement, as well as multi-site, multi-plant, and multi-union experience.

Throughout his business career and since retirement, David has actively contributed to social and community service as a volunteer board member for numerous not-for-profit organizations and associations across Canada and the USA.

David is eager to contribute to the Board's goals of improving healthcare within Huron County to meet the needs of all.

Dr. Nonie Brennan’s career has focused on helping neighbors find "home" through a visionary and collaborative approach. She led the Volunteer Center of Battle Creek from 1997 to 2002, establishing Michigan's first 2-1-1 Call Center. As Executive Director of the Emergency Fund, she expanded it to become Illinois’ largest homelessness prevention fund, co-launching Chicago’s Homelessness Prevention Call Center, and merging it with the Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness to form All Chicago.

As CEO of All Chicago from 2011 to 2019, Dr. Brennan secured over $100 million annually to combat homelessness, implementing Chicago’s “Plan 2.0” and reducing homelessness by 23%. In 2019, she joined King’s University College Board, becoming Chair in 2023. Dr. Brennan also served on various boards and as a Senior Advisor to the Institute of Global Homelessness, holding a DBA, M.S., and B.A. Her visionary leadership earned her notable awards, including an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Western University in 2017.